Flag support



J. G. BRICKE'R FLAG SUPPORT Filed April 30, 1937 IN VENT OR.

I76 6 JAMES 6. BRICKEI? (/fnf ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT o FicE 2,192,635 FLAG surron'r James G. Bricker, Shaker Heights, Ohio Application Apruso, 1937, Serial No. 139,965

7 Claims. (01. 116 -173) I v showing the staff yieldably held in its operative This invention relates to improvements in flag supports, particularly flag supports for use in marking newly painted trafiic lanes, and especially flag supports that embody a base formed of heavy material adapted to be run over without suffering much damage, this base being of a width to straddle the line leaving the space therebeneath open to the atmosphere so that the drying of the paint may not be interfered with.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a sturdy support of the character indicated which will withstand rough usage.

Another object is the provision of a mounting for the flag stafiwhich will be protected from damage in the event that the base portion of the support is run over by a vehicle.

Another object is the provision of a collapsible support so constructed that the supports in their collapsed condition may be nested together compactly for transportation or storage.

A further object is the provision of simple means for yieldably holding the flag stafi in operative position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for holding the flag at any desired position of adjustment on the flag staff.

Still another object is the provision of a removable knob for the upper extremity of the staif, permitting iiag replacements and afiording a convenient means for handling the support, thereby discouraging the handling of the support by grasping the flag as is often done in other devices of this kind with consequent damage to the flags.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with the description of that embodiment of the invention which, for the pur poses of the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of myflag support showing the same in position over a painted traffic line.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation on a larger scale of the lower portion of the support. a

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, but with the stafi folded down.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental plan view on a still larger scale, showing the staff folded down.

Fig. 5 is a fragmental view of the upper portion ofthe staff, with the fiag holding collar and the knob on the upper end shown in section.

Fig. 6 is a fragmental detail sectional view position by a spring retainer, and

Fig. '7 is a plan view, partly in section, showing a series of supports collapsed and nested.

In the drawing I have illustrated at H] the base portion of a flag support embodying the invention. This base is approximately of the shape of an inverted channel, but the legs I l diverge outwardly. in order that the basesmay be nested together as shown in Fig. 7, and the central portion of the web is pressed downwardly to form a depression or groove l2. This base is a rolled steel section of. heavy gauge, and the legs are spaced apart sufiiciently to comfortably clear a painted trafiic line 13 of standard width such as is commonly employed to separate trafilc lanes on highways and boulevards.

Thefiag staff is formed of a length of iron or steel rod of suitable diameter, for example fivesixteenths of an inch. The main portion M of the staff is straight, and at its lower end there is a looped portion I5 including a horizontal part It. It is not essential that the loop be complete as herein illustrated. It might be termi-' nated slightly beyond the horizontal part, but

when the loop is closed, as shown, there is no exposed end to cause possible damage or injury in the event of a trafiic accident.

vPart-"way up the straight portion M of the stall there isa soft rubber collar I! which fits tightly enough to firmly grip the rod, although it may be readily moved along the rod for adjustment purposes. This collar supports the lower end of'the flag I8. The latter is hemmed at its inner edge, providing a tubular portion to receive the staff rather snugly, and consequently when the flag rests upon the collar I! there is no tendency for it to sag.

The upper end of the staff is preferably rough-' ened in some manner, as for instance by threading as shown in Fig. 5, in order to more readily grip a soft rubber knob I9 that is forced down to the position shown in that figure. The knob is provided with a moldedsocket of a diameter small enough to grip the rod very firmly whether or not the rod is roughened, so that the knob cannot be withdrawn involuntarily in the .ordinary handlingof the support by means of the, knob.

The lower surface of the horizontal part I6-of the loop is flattened, as indicatedat 20, so that when the staif is in raised or operativeposition a fairly wide surface of contact against the, base. is provided. The staff is held 'yieldably in its elevated'position by a stiff spring retainer 2|, 5:;

face of the depression l2.

which has a curved yoke 22 at its free end that seats upon the horizontal part l6 or on small horizontal lands 23, see particularly Fig. 4. The spring retainer 2i is of a width less than the space between the sides of the loop l5, so that when the staff is folded down it will clear the spring retainer and rest upon the bottom sur- Near its fastened end this spring is curved down slightly, as indicated at 24, Fig. 4, so that a fulcrum is formed at the free extremity of the spring. Slightly inward from the free extremity the spring is provided with a square openingfor the reception of a squared shoulder portion 25 on a bolt 26, which extends also through an opening 2'! in the base. The head of this bolt is flattened on two sides, as shown in Fig. 4, so as not to project beyond the sides of the spring retainer 2!. By this means the retainer is held quite firmly against movement around its point of attachment. Because of the bend 24- the effective strength of the spring may be regulated by tightening or loosening the bolt 25.

When the supports are being carried to a job on a truck theyare preferably in collapsed condition and stacked in nested form on their ends as illustrated in Fig. 7, with the staifs projecting upwardly. When a flag is to be set over a trafiic line the Workman grasps the knob 19 of one of these nested supports and lifts it off the truck. Then, while holding it in a position such that the staff is inclined, he lowers the support until the base engages the pavement rather forcibly, which swings the base around on the pivotal connection to a position approximately at right angles with that of the staff, whereupon the fiat surface 20 of the staff comes into engagement with the base and is held therebythe spring retainer. The workman, still holding the support by the knob [9, then sets it in position. This. procedure is all a one hand operation, quickly and easily performed.

The supports of the present invention are caused to straddle the line which they are to mark, and of course they are then in alignment themselves. They therefore form an accurate straight guide for traffic. From-this standpoint they are superior to supports which must be po-. sitioned alongside of the line first onone side and thenon the other in staggered relation, because such staggered relation has the psychological effect of causing trafic to weave back and forth, sometimes touching the line which the flags are intended to protect. It does not often happen that the support of the present invention is thrown to one side by contact with a passing vehicle, as often happens with other types of supports. The present support has a low heavy base, and when a vehicle wheel strikes it the wheel generally rides up over the base. If this occurs the staff is easily bent down in a horizontal position. It can move either way from the vertical, and because the base must straddle the line the staff is always positioned so that it will swing down in a direction parallel to the direction of moving traffic. The spring mounting for the staff ,is protectedbecause it is within the depression l2, and if the exposed portion of the staff is run over it can be bent back into position, so that little damage results. When a support is to be taken up the workman naturally rasps the knob l9 and lifts the support thereby, instead of by the flag itself. The flag is thus subjectedto less damaging treatment than would otherwise be the case.

Variations from the described structure may be employed. Accordingly I desire it to be understood that the scope of the invention is to be regarded as defined exclusively by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description or the accompanying illustration.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A flag support, comprising a base, a staff comprising a metal rod having a right angle bend at its lower end, said bend having a fiat therein adapted to engage the base when the staff is in upright position, and a spring arranged to press said bend against the base, said spring enclosing the top and sides of said right angle bend and constituting the sole means for mouting said staff.

2. A collapsible and nestable flag support, comprising a base, a staff having a looped lower end, spring means attached to the base .extending through said loop and constituting the sole means for yieldably holding said staff in upright position, said means being of a width less than the space between the loop elements whereby the staff may be folded down against the base with the loop straddling said spring means.

3. A collapsible and nestable flag support for marking freshly painted traflic lines, comprising an inverted approximately channel shaped base, the legs of which are adapted to straddle the traffic line and support the web of the channel above the line in parallelism therewith, and a staff mounted upon said web adapted to be folded down to extend longitudinally of the channel, the legs of the channel being inclined outwardly and downwardly at such an angle that when a series of supports with their staffs folded down are nested together, spaces are left between the webs of adjacent supports for accommodating the staffs.

4. A flag support, comprising a. base, a rod having a right angle bend at its lower end forming a pivot portion, and spring means attached to the base extending over said pivot portion and constituting the sole mounting therefor, said spring means yieldably engaging said pivot portion and holding said rod in either upright or folded position, said spring means being arranged to clear the rod when the latter is folded down against the base.

5. A flag support comprising an inverted approximately channel shaped base, the web portion of said base having a depression extending longitudinally thereof from one end to the other, and a staff swiveled to the base in said depressionso as to be foldable down into said depression.

6. In combination, a base adapted to rest upon a flat surface, a flag staifmounted on said base, a flagwith a hem therein threaded-over said'staff, and an adjustable rubber collar on said staff adapted to support the lower edge of the flag in various positions of adjustment.

'7. In a flag support, a base, a flag staff mounted on said base, said staff comprising a metal rod, av rubber collar adjustably mounted on said rod, 2. flag mounted on said rod with itslower edge engaging and supported by said collar, anda knob removably mounted on the upper end of said rod.

JAMES G. BRICKER. 

